The disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for extracting data. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for modeling and extracting elements in semi-structured documents.
Data processing and data exchange operations are essential to many business and personal transactions. For example, small businesses may use accounting and/or inventory data to obtain and share reports regarding inventory sales, customer invoices, and/or cash flow. Similarly, healthcare providers may examine medical records to view patient information related to insurance providers, medical conditions, and/or office visits.
In addition, data exchange among users frequently involves the use of electronic documents such as word-processing documents, spreadsheets, and/or Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. For example, a business may manage business transactions with a set of customers by creating a set of bills, invoices, and/or other types of electronic documents containing data associated with the business transactions and transmitting the electronic documents to the respective customers via email. The customers may use the data in the electronic documents to pay the bills and/or invoices, respond to the business, and/or update their records of the transactions.
However, variations in the layouts and/or designs of electronic documents may preclude efficient extraction and/or transfer of data from the electronic documents. For example, a customer may receive electronic bills, invoices and/or other semi-structured electronic documents from a variety of businesses and/or companies. While the electronic documents may include many of the same types of data, the locations of the data may vary across electronic documents from different companies. As a result, the customer may be unable to automatically extract the data from the electronic documents into the application. Instead, the customer may be required to manually enter the data from the electronic documents into an application for managing the data (e.g., an accounting application).
Consequently, use of semi-structured electronic documents may be facilitated by mechanisms for automatically extracting data from the electronic documents.